American Democracy

Main Region

Bringing insights to the most fundamental questions surrounding American Democracy, institutions, and the American electorate

About

The Stanford Center for American Democracy (SCAD) convenes faculty and graduate students
in a multidisciplinary effort to address fundamental questions about American democracy, institutions, and the American electorate. With a methodological focus on survey research, the Center also serves as Stanford’s premiere resource hub for graduate students who employ survey research methods to study American public opinion.

SCAD works to increase our understanding of American democracy and politics through:

• Supporting graduate students with grants to pursue research on American democracy and public opinion

• Training graduate students in survey experimental methods 

• Disseminating research findings to policymakers and the broader public       

For inquiries, please contact Christopher Fraga.

Recent Research

2019-2020 SCAD Graduate Fellow Marissa Thompson shares insights from her SCAD-sponsored research. 
Research on the reactions of majorities to Muslim minorities in Western Europe has focused on exclusion – opposition to immigration, prejudice towards minorities, the surge in support for the far right, understandably.  The Inclusive Politics Project takes research in a new direction.
2019-2020 SCAD Graduate Fellow Katie Clayton shares insights from her SCAD-sponsored research. Her findings were featured in articles by the

The Historic 2020 Elections

Before several states released their final vote tallies and either candidate had obtained the 270 electoral votes needed to win the U.S. presidential election, experts Nathaniel Persily, Hakeem Jefferson, Didi Kuo, and Bruce Cain convened on Zoom to break down what had happened so far and what Americans might expect in the many weeks before Inauguration Day.